Addiction Drug Use How Stereotypes About Drug Use Harm the Gay Community By Elizabeth Hartney, BSc, MSc, MA, PhD Elizabeth Hartney, BSc, MSc, MA, PhD Elizabeth Hartney, BSc, MSc, MA, PhD is a psychologist, professor, and Director of the Centre for Health Leadership and Research at Royal Roads University, Canada. Learn about our editorial process Updated on July 24, 2021 Fact checked Verywell Mind content is rigorously reviewed by a team of qualified and experienced fact checkers. Fact checkers review articles for factual accuracy, relevance, and timeliness. We rely on the most current and reputable sources, which are cited in the text and listed at the bottom of each article. Content is fact checked after it has been edited and before publication. Learn more. by Emily Swaim Fact checked by Emily Swaim LinkedIn Emily is a board-certified science editor who has worked with top digital publishing brands like Voices for Biodiversity, Study.com, GoodTherapy, Vox, and Verywell. Learn about our editorial process Print Image Source/Getty Images There is a stereotype that gay men use recreational drugs. While research tells us that sexual minorities, including gay men, may be more likely to use drugs and have a higher risk for substance use problems and addictions, the truth is that many gay men do not use drugs. For example, U.K. statistics showing that a third of gay and bisexual men have past-year drug use also indicate that twice as many did not use illicit drugs in the year prior to the survey. Most of the focus of research into substance use in sexual minorities has been with gay men, largely because of concerns about HIV in the gay community. Research has shown that some gay men engage in the dangerous party and play activities, during which substance use, and particularly the use of crystal meth, has been combined with unsafe sex, including sex with multiple partners. Yet research has also shown that one of many myths about gay meth use is that these activities are common among gay men—in reality, only a small minority of gay men take meth and have unsafe sex. Sources of Misinformation in the Gay Community So where do these myths come from? There are several possible sources of this misinformation. One source of the misinformation is research bias. Studies of drug use among gay men may recruit samples of men who are not representative of the full population of gay men, but instead, subpopulations of drug-using gay men. While it does appear that subcultures of gay men do engage in recreational drug use, those who do not may not be identified by researchers, particularly if they are well integrated into the mainstream community. In fact, when studies are carefully reviewed, there is not a consistent pattern of gay men using drugs more than straight or bisexual men. In fact, it seems that while bisexual young people are more likely to use drugs than other sexual identity groups, gay young men are not necessarily more likely than straight men to use drugs, particularly alcohol. Another source of the stereotype could reflect gay men when they are new to the gay scene, who are isolated, and reach out to other gay men through gay dating sites and gay bars, simply because it is the easiest way to meet peers and potential partners. The focus of these settings may be casual sex and even PnP, which can seem to be the norm. This doesn't reflect non-sexual relationships with other gay men who are not engaging in these activities, which can take time to develop. The stereotype can also be reinforced deliberately and used to take advantage of the naivety of young, less experienced gay men. Some unscrupulous drug dealers take advantage of young, naive gay men to sell drugs—they apply peer pressure by implying that drug use is what all gay men are doing, rather than that they are exploiting a young man to do something unwise or unusual. Another place these myths come from is die-hard homophobes. Homophobia may be conscious or unconscious, but some very harmful attitudes towards gay men emerged in the 1980s, and for some people, have not disappeared. These attitudes can include the belief that gay men are more likely to both use drugs and to engage in compulsive sex than heterosexuals. The Reality In reality, drug use and sex addiction can occur in men or women, and in both heterosexuals and sexual minorities. Although party and play are typically used to describe gay drug-fueled sex, in fact, the practice of taking drugs prior to casual sex is common among sex workers, who have to cope with a variety of stressors, including having sex with people they are not attracted to. And the phenomenon of heterosexuals getting intoxicated and even front-loading before engaging in casual sex is so common as to be considered normal in many communities, particularly among younger people. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Learn the best ways to manage stress and negativity in your life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit 6 Sources Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Office of National Statistics. Drug Misuse: Findings from the 2013/2014 Crime Survey for England and Wales. Halkitis PN, Levy MD, Moreira AD, Ferrusi CN. Crystal methamphetamine use and HIV transmission among gay and bisexual men. Curr Addict Rep. 2014;1:206-213. doi:10.1007/s40429-014-0023-x Green KE, Feinstein BA. Substance use in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: An update on empirical research and implications for treatment. Psychol Addict Behav. 2012;26(2):265-278. doi:10.1037/a0025424 Pinsof D, Haselton MG. The effect of the promiscuity stereotype on opposition to gay rights. PLoS ONE. 2017;12(7):e0178534. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0178534 Sherman SG, Pamela Lilleston, Reuben J. More than a dance: the production of sexual health risk in the exotic dance clubs in Balimore, USA. Soc Sci Med. 2011;73(3):475-481. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2011.05.036 Banks DE, Zapolski TCB. Impulsivity and problem drinking in college: examining the mediating role of sex-related alcohol expectancies and alcohol use at sex. Subst Use Misuse. 2017;52(8):992-1002. doi:10.1080/10826084.2016.1268629 Get Treatment for Addiction Advertiser Disclosure × The offers that appear in this table are from partnerships from which Verywell Mind receives compensation.